Story Number 11:
This story is set during the horcrux hunt and starts after Ron leaves Harry and Hermione in the tent. Harry was left with a great burden and he had no one to help him except for his bushy haired best friend and a voice in the back of his head?
Angel Eyes
Playing with the golden snitch, Harry looked forlornly at the tent in the middle of nowhere within the Forest of Dean. Absentmindedly, he twirled his wrist, releasing the snitch and putting a leg spinner's spin to the golden ball before catching it in his left hand. He could still hear Hermione's cries from inside the tent and even after a day of Ron's abandonment, there seemed to be no end to her anguish. Harry wanted to comfort her, he wanted to take her into his arms and drive away all her pain. But he was afraid, afraid that once they get to talk about the disastrous hunt they were on, Hermione would turn her back on him too.
After all, Ron was right.
He, Harry Potter, supposedly the destroyer of the dark lord Voldemort had no clue as to how to go about it. Dumbledore in all his wisdom did not teach them how to and now he was suffering for it, Hermione was suffering for it and Ron was too. Apparently, the suffering was enough for Ron to have left them to seek material comfort rather than just grit his teeth and bear it.
Harry sighed heavily, he felt so lonely even if he was sharing the space with Hermione. Even the euphoria of feeling close to Ginny while watching her name on the Marauder's map was growing old. He began to identify the feeling he used to get when being close to the redhead for what it was, an infatuation and nothing more. Watching the others enjoy normal lives, he wanted a part of it too; especially since his life was the complete opposite of normalcy.
Giving another absentminded spin to the snitch, Harry wished that either of his parents was with him, but especially his mother as he knew that his father was not the most serious of wizards when needed. If they were with him, they could at least make a sense of the mess he was in, both the quest and his life.
Unseen by mortal eyes, at the highest point of the flight the golden snitch glowed briefly, almost as if the sun itself was shining inside it. As soon as the glow subsided, and the snitch was back in Harry's hand after completing its short flight, a pair of emerald green eyes materialized shining briefly before fading again, never to be seen by mortal eyes.
Lily Potter blinked her eyes and blinked again. One moment she was with her husband, floating around in limbo watching the struggles of their only child from far away and unable to do anything; the next moment she was back on earth in the form of an incorporeal being, only to watch her son torment himself in his guilt. But this time she was going to do something about it; even though she could not physically interact with her son, she was going to be his guardian angel.
Harry was distracted from his thoughts by a louder than normal hiccup. Hermione was still crying her eyes out; Harry raked his hands through his unruly hair in frustration, "Mum!" he choked out desperately; his long dead mum was the only one he could think about right now, "What do I do? Please help me" he pleaded.
"Go to her Harry. Offer her your comfort" Lily replied. "Show your best friend that you are there with her and for her, and that you are not going to abandon her too."
A sudden chill went down Harry's spine when he heard the whispered words. He was sure that the words were not spoken out loud but in his mind; he was also sure that no one else would hear the words as they were probably meant only for him. Even then he wondered why he was not terrified of hearing something that no one else did or would; the second year at Hogwarts taught him that. 'Even in the wizarding world hearing voices isn't a good sign' was what Hermione told him and she was proven right. But then a small flicker of hope told him that it was an answer to his prayer, a desperate plea to his mother. In some long-forgotten recess of his mind, this voice was equated with a sense of security and of love; he could never ignore that.
"I was always with her and will always be with her Mum" Harry vowed in a fierce whisper, "but she chose Ron."
"You do not know that" Lily Potter chided her son. "For all you know she is crying for some sort of reassurance and comfort from you and you are unwilling to give."
Harry tried to check his temper, he really tried to. He knew that he became unreasonable in times of anger but the horcrux that was hanging around his neck was not allowing him to calm down or think rationally. "Then what was all that 'hush-hush' behind my back and all that furtive looks" Harry snarled, again instinctively keeping his voice low.
"… and what was all that staring at the map" Lily snarled in return. Seeing Harry flinch at her tone, Lily softened her voice, "You realized early into your stay here and away from her, that Ginny was not the girl for you, and yet you stare at the map like a drowning man. You could have spent more time with your friends."
Harry sighed and lowered his head. Yes, he could have interacted more with Ron and Hermione instead of brooding. Truth be told he was incredibly jealous of them; jealous that they could simply go on with their lives and that Hermione was closer with Ron than with him. In all their years at Hogwarts, Hermione was closest to him and since last year she was pining away for Ron. He thought that she was in love with his best mate but he was never prepared for the envious feeling that he had whenever he saw them together.
"You don't know that Harry. Did you see them cuddling or kissing or doing anything that gave you reason to believe that they were a couple?" his mother's voice broke Harry's musings and he had to admit that he never saw them snuggling or acting anything other than friendly, "For all you know Hermione was also looking for some normalcy in her life too, away from the danger and the teenage angst."
That was a plausible explanation but then Hermione never acted like a normal girl, she was far too smart and mature for that. "Keeping you alive was a full-time job for that poor girl" Lily snorted in amusement.
Harry's stubbornness slowly began melting, but a small part of him warned that Hermione was spoken for by Ron. He could not infringe into his territory. "Did Hermione console you for some selfish reasons Harry? Was she your girlfriend when you were bawling your eyes out after overhearing Fudge mistakenly say that Sirius was responsible for our death? Why did she heal you all those times in the fifth year, why did she help you during the Triwizard tournament? She was not your girlfriend, she was not your family."
"OK, OK" Harry cried in exasperation, "I get it, I should just be her friend. Offer my support, just be there. If it turns out to be more than friendship, I will consider myself blessed." He took one last look around the area where their tent was pitched, searching for any signs of intruders; but then Hermione's protections never gave them a problem. Why did they even keep a lookout?
"… and take that damned locket off" Lily huffed, "You need not wear it to keep it safe, that can be done within Hermione's charmed bag too. Or better yet, 'Fiendfyre' it" she muttered.
Neither mother nor her son even wondered how they were able to talk to each other. For Harry it was a solace to his aching heart that someone was interacting with him, so what if it was an unseen voice? For Lily it was the closest she was ever able to get to her grownup son; it was a miracle of magic and she was going to take it, no questions asked.
The ethereal form of Lily Potter watched as her son walked towards the opening of the tent. It was not the shuffling gait that she was used to see since the three friends began hunting for Voldemort's horcruxes, no this was the determined stride that he had when he went to confront a Basilisk, what he thought was a deranged killer, or the dark lord. Lily sighed at the thought that her son was as dumb as she was when it came to notice what was best for him even if it was right in front. She had no problems with Ginny Weasley, in fact she reminded Lily a little of herself, fiery and alternatively bubbly when needed. It might have worked with James Potter but it would never work with Harry, for he was a very introvert and highly stubborn individual. Harry needed someone like Hermione, equally determined but calm and soothing in personality. If she did not miss her mark, Hermione also needed someone like Harry, someone who would not bend to her will easily but again not confrontational like Ron Weasley. Lily wished that Harry and Hermione would wake up and see that what was best for them was always at hand; they just had to reach out and grasp.
Harry ventured into the tent, hesitant about his reception and stopped just inside the flap. His heart broke looking at the utter despair surrounding Hermione. She did not deserve this, even if she did not need or expect any romantic feelings from him, she needed his presence, his support. He walked near the bed that Hermione used, the one that was not a bunk bed and looked at the prone figure with pain in his heart, "Hermione" he called softly.
Hermione's shaking shoulders stilled but she did not respond to him. With a growl of frustration, Harry yanked the locket horcrux from around his neck and threw it on the floor. The sudden action startled Hermione, effectively ending her tears. She braced herself on her outstretched hands, lifting her body from the bed and turned to look at Harry with wide eyes, unable to judge what was happening or going through Harry's mind at the moment.
With her wide brown eyes watching his every move, Harry sat on the bed with his back towards the headboard and his body turned towards Hermione, leaving his legs over the side. "Hermione, it's alright. I will not abandon you, I will always be with you" he tried to soothe her ache with his gentle words while rubbing his hands on her shoulder in a gesture of comfort.
That was enough for Hermione, with renewed tears she flung herself into Harry's lap. Harry was shocked and scared too, he immediately thought that his words caused more pain to Hermione and was about to apologize.
"You idiot" Lily's voice cut through his haze, "If she was angry with you she would not have thrown herself at you."
Harry breathed a sigh of relief, it was then he noticed that Hermione's head was literally buried into his stomach, her forehead perilously close to his crotch. Thankfully, the seriousness of the situation and the overwhelming compassion for his bushy haired friend overrode any embarrassment or discomfort, "Shh…" he cooed rubbing Hermione's back, "He will be back Hermione, just give him a few days. He will be back to you."
Hermione shook her head forcefully, now her cheek was literally resting on little Harry, neither Harry nor Hermione were in any state to notice it. The soothing presence of Harry and just the offer of comfort from him soothed Hermione's ache and her tears began to lessen. Harry simply waited, offering his silent support while gently rubbing her back.
"It's not that Harry" Hermione managed through her sniffles, never moving her head from Harry's lap, "He left us Harry. Ron broke his promise. He said that he will be with us … with you until the end but now he left us all alone in the wild." Finally managing to gather the strength to lift herself off his lap, Hermione got off the bed. Harry watched her as she tried to control her emotions while absentmindedly starting a fire to make some tea the muggle way. The two occupants of the tent were silent, one lost in her thoughts while the other simply watching his companion.
Finally and after what felt like an eternity, but in reality was only a few minutes, Hermione filled two cups with scalding tea. Handing one cup to her companion, Hermione sat beside Harry and leaned heavily into him. "I observed that the locket was affecting our emotions. I also saw that Ron's thoughts were being manipulated but I never imagined that he was so weak willed that he would abandon us."
Hermione refused to cry anymore and so with just a stifled sob, she gave Harry a wry smile, "I was definitely shocked and I guess the lack of food, the cold and simply the desperate situation overwhelmed me."
Harry could certainly commiserate with that. There were many days when he just wanted to breakdown and cry or rant at the world.
Hermione continued, "Ever since I sent my parents away, I wanted a good cry. I guess things came to a boil with Ron's departure" She finished with a bitter chuckle.
Harry felt terrible; it was hard to imagine what she might have gone through all these months. Hermione was a strong woman but every now and then, even she needed a shoulder to cry on and these were far from normal times. No wonder that she cried for a day, and like a colossal prick he never showed her that he cared.
Harry brought Hermione closer into him, tightening the hug, "For what it's worth, I am sorry."
"I understand Harry" Hermione thanked him with a look, "I was never angry with you Harry. I believed you when you told us that you shared everything that you knew with us. I was trying to reign in Ron's frustration and his suspicion that you were hiding something from us…" she was interrupted by Harry's annoyed huff. Hermione patted Harry's thigh to not only calm him but also as a gesture of acceptance as she continued, "We all agreed that it was going to be a very difficult task, impossible even. I came into this with my eyes open and I was led to believe that Ron did too."
There was nothing more to say and the two friends lay wrapped up in a quilt, nursing their hot tea, kept hot by liberal use of heating charms. Hermione sighed heavily after a few moments of silence, "In a way I was lucky that he left me, left us now, I do not want to think what would have happened if I settled for a relationship with him. Would our arguments blow out of proportion?"
"I always thought that your fights were hurting you. I could do nothing though" it went without saying that he never understood how Hermione was able to think of falling in love with someone who made her cry almost always. Hermione made a noncommittal noise in the back of her throat accepting Harry's censure of her relationship with Ron.
The silence that followed was not uncomfortable; both of them knew that Hermione was trying to put the hurt she felt with Ron's leaving in the past. A new understanding began to take root between them, not that either of them noticed it. Harry sensed that Hermione's eyes began to droop, most probably due to her marathon crying session, so he slowly disengaged himself and took their cups to the sink. "Go to sleep Hermione, you need it. I will keep watch."
Hermione hesitated; she needed the rest but at the same time was afraid that she will not be able to have a restful sleep. "Hold me Harry?" she ventured.
Harry was surprised at the bold request and was ashamed at the uncharitable thoughts he had about Hermione cuddling with Ron. Seeing how vulnerable she was, fearing about not having even a peaceful night's sleep, Harry's decision was very easy to make. "Yeah! I can keep watch from inside the tent too."
The relief visible on Hermione's face told him that he made the correct call. With a quick "Thank you Harry" Hermione darted into the bathroom to get ready for the night. With his back propped against the headboard, Harry stretched himself on Hermione's bed, waiting for her.
A few days went by filled with both calmness and tension at the same time. The time was filled with reading the various tomes that Hermione managed to pack away. Even with the extensive knowledge imparted by the books, they were no closer to finding an answer to the conundrum they were in, causing tempers to flare; one major difference this time was that it was not directed towards each other unlike the time when Ron was complaining. Thankfully, the locket horcrux was sequestered away which did not aggravate the situation.
"Hermione…" Harry whined, "… I do not know about you but I think that the headmaster was being deliberately obtuse."
Hermione sighed, she used to think that the deceased man gave them all the information that he might have had, however inadequate it might be. It was a bit uncharitable on her part, but she always had the opinion that Harry had all the answers and it was only a matter of timing for them to get to the answers. Talking to Harry without any interference from Ron, brought the realization to Hermione, that Harry did indeed not have the answers for what they were looking for, and maybe neither did the headmaster.
The few days that Hermione made peace with the fact that Ron would no longer be a part of her life, were spent in reading and more reading. The stress of looking suspiciously at his two friends, wondering what they were thinking about him, and the influence of the horcrux more or less gone for good, Harry was even able to join Hermione in her crusade to find a spark of illumination in the books that she carried with her. It did not help him that he was used to getting by, rather than work for his grades; in that way he had to admit that Hermione spoiled him.
The frustrations of the hunt made him unable to sit straight for longer periods of time, forcing even Hermione to fidget too. They were cold and hungry most of the time; the forest they were in was never known for wild life and with the cold and snow beginning to come in, even fish was difficult to find. Not to mention the threat of running into trouble kept them confined to the tent almost all the time.
Harry huffed in frustration and sprang up from the chair toppling it. With a determined stride, he moved to the tent's opening intent on stretching his legs.
"Harry" Hermione asked, her voice laced with worry. She could feel that Harry was getting frustrated, heck, she was getting frustrated with all the reading they were doing without getting any close to the answers; it was only logical that Harry would have long past the breaking point but he was coping admirably. "Where are you going?"
Harry's first instinct was to snap at her; that it was none of her business. He could clearly remember the distraught face of the girl who could potentially be his only friend, after Ron left them. Her stated fear that he would leave her too; and his very real fear that Hermione would leave him, frustrated with his lack of knowledge. He might aggravate the problem by acting callous towards after how much she was suffering too. The mending of their friendship was too new for him to act rash and destroy it again; he did not want to see Hermione in tears again if he could help it.
His face softened as he turned towards Hermione and she was startled at the tenderness that was directed towards her; something she never saw in any one who she considered to be a potential boyfriend material. Neither Victor nor Ron caused her heartbeat to speed up with just a look, a look like Harry was giving her. A change began within Hermione at that moment, a change in her emotions towards her raven-haired best friend.
"It's OK Hermione!" Harry answered with a tired smile, "I am feeling a little cooped up. I will take a walk outside and also see if I can find something to eat."
Hermione nodded her head in acceptance, "Please be careful Harry and do not go too far."
"I will Hermione" Harry was mesmerized by the concern shining through in her eyes. All through the years, through the adventures they had, he knew that Hermione was concerned about their survival but in this instance where the two of them were the only ones, he need not imagine her concern for him. It was there for him to see. Swallowing the sudden emotions that threatened to break free, he hastily turned away from Hermione's intense stare, "Do you want to come?" he asked lamely.
"Not now Harry" Hermione managed a small smile for him. She was feeling a little too tired due to the lack of proper food which made her time of month a little too unbearable. She could not say that though and settled for, "I want to finish what I am reading and I also think that one of us should be in the tent, just to be sure…"
Harry immediately agreed to the lame reason and darted out of the tent, away from Hermione's gaze. As soon as he was out, he took a deep breath to steady his racing heart and cool himself down. It was really unnerving for him to think about the emotions that his best friend was stirring in him, Ginny was never able to. Harry did not know when the bushy haired witch moved from the 'sister' slot into a 'potential life partner' slot, but he could not deny it any longer.
"So, what are you going to do about it" the voice of Lily Potter jolted Harry away from his hormone induced musings.
That was the question, wasn't it? Until this day, Harry never thought about looking at Hermione with nothing other than platonic feelings. He always had Ron with him and though it was not obvious, Harry knew that Ron wanted to get together with Hermione and it was pretty much given that Harry would never interfere. Everyone 'knew' that Ron and Hermione would be together, they seemingly had feelings for each other, except that Ron went for it in a totally wrong way. Now that their mutual friend was not in the picture, Harry knew that he was the only one who could not only protect Hermione but was also the only one who had a clear chance of spending a lifetime with her. He had always liked the bushy haired witch, respected her and apart from Ginny was the only one he could talk to without feeling like an idiot. Could he take the step that would change his relationship with Hermione forever, and when he was not sure if she would welcome the change? Harry found that he could!
But, they were in the middle of a war with no hope of getting out alive. "I do not have time to think about it mum. I cannot lose Hermione too…"
Lily understood that her son was not sure that his best friend could like him romantically. It was true that Hermione did not show any obvious signs of affection but their friendship was on the way of developing into a beautiful, strong, and healthy relationship that would last a lifetime. She let it go though, as Harry said, it was not the time, yet.
Instead, she focused on what was important for the moment, shelter and good food. "Why are you here in this godforsaken place?"
"We were running mum, we did not have a choice of hotels you know" he answered with an accompanying eye roll.
"I know that" Lily huffed in exasperation. "You could be at Grimmauld place. That was given to you by Sirius, you are the lord of the manor." Then she sighed, "If only you declared your intention of claiming the Potter head of house, you would have lived at the Potter manor."
"We talked about this mum" Harry replied tiredly, "I did not know I could do that. No one told me."
After a few minutes listening to his mum grumble about wrinkled old men and stuff like that, Harry brought the conversation back to their means of escaping the cold, "Grimmauld place has been compromised. There are a lot of people that know the secret and without a secret keeper, they could not even bring down the 'Fidelius charm' down and put a new one."
That caught Lily's attention. She gaped open mouthed at her son, "That's a bucket load of crap" she hissed. "All houses that are the seat of powerful families have inherent magics that are meant to protect the house and all those within. All you had to do was to seek the main ward stone and reset the wards around the house."
As Harry looked wide eyed, his mother glared venomously. "Dumbledore should have known this. Heck even Arthur should have. Why did they not tell you?"
"Remus…" Harry asked in anguish.
Lily softened at that, "Moony would not know that dear. The secrets of an ancient house are just that, a secret, only the lord of another house would even know that there could be something like that."
Placated by those words, that at least one of the adults in his life did not screw him up, Harry finished his circuit around the tent. He needed to talk to Hermione; if there was even a remote chance that they could go back to Grimmauld Place, he had to take that. Even the dusty and drab old house looked inviting than the shabby tent they were living in.
"Hermione" Harry got her attention to pass the few mushrooms he managed to gather during his walk. This, along with some preserved fruit, would be their dinner if Hermione shot down the plan to move from the place they were living in.
Savouring the fruit in an attempt to last as long as they could, Harry attacked the problem at hand, "… What do you think about going away from here, to somewhere warm and dry?"
She interrupted Harry before he could continue, "… I would like that very much, with plenty of food too…" she grinned but that lasted only for a moment or two before she frowned. "Harry, I know that we are struggling here, but we are safe here…"
"… Only to starve to death…" Harry grumbled.
Hermione had to agree to that, "… It's not like we have anywhere safe to go in the magical world, Harry. I am not willing to go to the Burrow and even the muggle world is not spared by the death eaters…"
"I know that Hermione" Harry sighed tiredly. He had to agree that normally he would never have gone with the idea, but if it was his mother that was asking him to do, and he was convinced that it was her, there obviously a very good reason. Harry who never had guidance as precise as was getting now, wanted to follow the advice. What could go wrong, besides, he had a good way of knowing the state of the house.
Before Hermione could say anything, "Kreacher" he called.
The bushy haired witch would have been loath to admit it but she was appalled that in their haste to get away from being trapped by the death eaters, she forgot about the loyal elf. She, who was supposed to be a crusader for the rights of all down-trodden magical beings, did not even think about one of those who would also be trapped in that house. Somehow, Harry remembered about Kreacher and was now looking out for not only them but also for the house elf, if he was alive that is. If Ron would have said the same thing in the heat of the battle, she would have kissed him.
'Why was she thinking about the redhead now?' It was he who left them in the wilderness, she got nothing to do with it; now that she had Harry with her, she would not need anyone else. It was time to put that part of her life where it belonged, in the past. While this was going on in her mind, Hermione was also curious, curious if Kreacher could hear Harry and that would only happen if Harry was truly the head of house Black, if the house elf did indeed hear him, could he bypass all the wards that they put up and find them? Was the old elf even alive?
It took a few seconds, a few seconds longer than normal, but there was a faint pop to signal the arrival of the loyal elf. It turns out he was alive after all.
Harry gave the elf a smile of genuine appreciation and of relief. "How are you Kreacher?"
"Kreacher wait for masters…" he trailed off looking around the tent and closing his eyes, probably trying to sense for Ron, "… for master and miss to return. When you not come, Kreacher start ancient magic to defend home of Black."
Hermione was shocked, but in a good way; there was something that was beyond the 'Fidelius Charm' that could keep a witch or a wizard safe. Harry was ecstatic too but he was also angry.
"You mean we could have been in at Grimmauld place all this time?"
That stopped Hermione short. Dumbledore always told them that the headquarters was not safe as everyone who knew the secret became a secret keeper and the power of the charm diluted out. If they could have activated the protections on the house, they would have had a much safer place and need not go running all over the country.
"Can anyone stay inside the house with the protections activated?" Hermione asked.
"No" was the succinct reply.
Both the humans in the tent deflated immediately but Lily provided the answer and he relayed it out in the form of a question to the house elf, "Can't the head of house provide entry to whoever he chose?"
"I is never knowing old Lord Black doing it. Only Black family enter Black home. Kreacher can call magic and ask" the aged elf closed his eyes and looked into the ward scheme around 12 Grimmauld place to get the answer that the new lord Black needed.
A mere moments later, the house elf opened his eyes and looked at Harry, "Lord Black do what Lord Black need to do…" he stated simply.
"In other words, yes" Harry decided.
Hermione was stunned. Only now she was realizing the danger they were put into by not having all the details of not only the hunt for the horcruxes but also for their stay during the hunt. If only they knew about Grimmauld place before they started, if only she accepted the fact that Harry told her all he knew, if only she was not infatuated with their redhead friend during the sixth year, if only…
She was pulled from her thoughts by Harry extending his hand to her; instead of taking it, Hermione simply wrapped her arms around Harry's waist hugging him to her. Her mind was muddled beyond belief with the revelations and many other hidden meanings that were beginning to unravel and Hermione did not trust that she could concentrate enough to do what was needed. She trusted Harry to take her to Grimmauld place and she just needed to hang on.
Harry had no inclination of what was going on in her mind; he gave her a bemused smile. He placed her arm around Hermione's shoulder and tightened the hug.
Kreacher took Harry's free hand and transported them to the basement of 12 Grimmauld place, the seat of house Black, right in front of the keystone for the wards. It was only a few moments delay for Harry to add both his and Hermione's blood to the keystone, not only allowing them to enter and stay in the house with impunity, but prevent everyone else from even finding it.
"I need a long hot shower" Hermione declared. "I am going to use the same room that I used to share with Ginny." With that, both the inhabitants went their ways to soak in the luxury of having hot water at the turn of a tap.
Entering the master bedroom which became his, Harry began removing his very dirty and smelly shirt to do the exact same thing as Hermione and get a long hot bath. He was disturbed however, with his mum's voice, 'Brr… that was very discontenting. Worse than apparition. After being free to move about, being pulled into the resurrection stone was not a pretty feeling.'
"You were pulled into the stone?" Harry asked in surprise. He already removed his shirt and was in the process of pulling down his pants but the sudden voice of his mother stopped him and reminded him that the snitch was still with him.
'Yes, looks like I am tied to the stone and cannot be far away from it…' she mused.
Harry simply did not have anything to add at that time and so took out the golden snitch and put it on the dresser. He began rooting for a change of clothing but remembered that everything was in one trunk and that was with Hermione. He had to wait till she finished with her shower and so sat down on his bed with nothing to do.
Meanwhile Lily was wracking her formidable intellect on the problem of horcruxes. She never heard about them while she was alive, but spending the time with her son gave her a good idea about them. 'Harry?' she brought her son out of his nap, 'You destroyed the diary horcrux with Basilisk venom, correct?'
"Well" Harry hedged, "I pierced it with a fang, but yes, you are correct. I think it is the venom in the fang that might have destroyed the diary."
'That could be the reason that Dumbledore wanted you to have the sword of Gryffindor' Lily replied excitedly. 'The sword must have been coated with the venom when you plunged it into the roof of the snake's mouth. It would make an ideal weapon…'
Harry jumped out of the bed, not in ecstasy but in frustration, "That's what I thought Mum, but we don't know where the sword is. It could very well be on the moon for all I know."
That was true. Professor Dumbledore willed it to Harry in his final will, but they also knew that the Ministry confiscated it and now it might be in the deepest recesses of the building, languishing in chains, just like his firebolt did during Umbridge's regimen at Hogwarts. The vision of a helpless sword enchained brought an involuntary snort to his lips.
Lily meanwhile was not pleased at her son's rant. 'Harry, the sword came to you when you needed it your second year…'
"Yes Mum, but Fawkes brought it to me…" Harry huffed out.
Lily was exasperated by the stubbornness of her son, he was just like herself, she though. Taking a calming breath, she addressed Harry, 'Call it to you Harry. If it was supposed to come to you it will.'
Meanwhile in another part of the house, Hermione was going through her beaded bag. She not only pulled out a set of clothes that were meant for herself but also another set that was Harry's. Slapping her head for her absentmindedness, she gathered a pair and some underwear for Harry and left to find him in his room. Reaching the room, she saw that it was open and Harry was, surprisingly, on a rant.
She heard the words but was stunned to even imagine that he was talking to his Mum. Surely that was impossible. Her first thought was that the locket horcrux addled his brains for sure and in the next moment she suspected that Voldemort was sending him visions and Harry began believing that he was really talking to his mother.
Taking a fortifying breath, Hermione pushed herself into the room, "Harry?" she called out to her best friend.
The said best friend turned on his heel to find Hermione staring at his bare chest. Hermione was nearly at the point of drooling. Harry was no longer the skinny kid, his chest was chiseled and with a toned abdomen he looked like a Greek god. The effect of a lack of proper food for the last few weeks was visible but it did not dampen the effect that he was having on her. This was the first time she was close to a bare-chested man and Hermione was hooked. The fact that this was someone whom she trusted with her life and begun to have burgeoning feelings for, Hermione had a hard time to not run to Harry and kiss him senseless.
Harry looked at his best friend quizzically and called out to her. The bushy haired witch shook her head to get the naughty thoughts out and simply walked to his bed and put her burden on it. Without either of them saying a word, she began to cross the room back to the door but suddenly stopped, "Harry, who were you talking to?"
Harry was caught in a conundrum; he did not want to lie to Hermione, not after the bond that they had was strengthened after Ron left but on the other hand, he was not sure that Hermione would not commit him to a mental institution. Then again, he was tired of secrets, "It's my Mum, Hermione" he answered quietly, trying to judge her reaction.
Seeing that Hermione was still processing the information and was in no position to even comment on what he told her, Harry took the initiative, "I know Hermione, I know. 'Even in the magical world hearing voices is not a good thing Harry'" he quoted Hermione from their second year. He then proceeded to tell her how desperate he was he for someone to help him and how he was playing with the snitch at the time. He revealed that even his Mum told him that the resurrection stone was inside the snitch and she was called from 'limbo' to answer her son's plea. He told Hermione about how Dumbledore should have known that there was a way to make 12 Grimmauld Place much safer if they simply activated the house's defenses like they did. Then again, he reasoned that if the entire order were to be given access to the house, then the kind of protection they were currently enjoying might not have been possible with so many witches and wizards.
Hermione was unsure as to what to believe; what she read about the three hallows led her to believe that Harry's cloak was definitely one. The way that he described about how Lily Potter was communicating with her son was similar to what she read about the resurrection stone. She did not like the implications but she was being led to believe that Lily Potter did indeed answer her son's plea and was even around them now. She decided to ignore that for now and ask the more relevant question, "What were you talking about now?"
"She was asking me to just call for the sword of Gryffindor to get rid of the locket horcrux."
Hermione was relieved, she instinctively knew that whoever it might have been 'talking' to Harry, it could not have been Voldemort. 'He' would never send a vision that would be detrimental to his continued survival. With that revelation, her stance softened but she still could not reconcile to the fact that Lily Potter was even now watching her mull over the problem. She knew that magic was wondrous and that no one could know the true depths of the power contained within it. Well, there was only one thing to do.
"Call it Harry" Hermione suggested.
Harry was surprised at Hermione's easy acceptance of his word. He was thankful to her for the trust she placed in him; in a small recess of his mind, he knew that Hermione needed proof above all else and this was probably a test for her to fully accept his word.
Taking a deep breath and looking foolish, Harry extended his right hand high in front of him and called out in a soft but confident voice, "Come to me sword of Gryffindor."
It definitely was a surprise to him when he saw the sword gleaming in his outstretched hand and even Hermione's mouth was wide open in shock. She did not really believe that the sword would come to Harry; still it did not confirm that it was indeed Lily Potter who was taking to her best friend. She decided to take the matter on faith, besides Harry never lied to her. He truly believed that it was his mother talking to him.
She then had a foreboding feeling. She knew that she was growing close to Harry in the romantic sense. His presence during the last few days and the comfort he provided immediately after Ron left was beginning to strength the feeling of love towards her best friend. Was it all a sham?
"Harry, did your mum prompt you to comfort me?"
Harry was stunned by the question, but really should have expected it. There was truth in the matter but it was not the entire truth. Ignoring his state of undress, Harry pulled Hermione into his embrace and began stroking her back in an effort to calm her and also steady his nerves. Hermione went into his arms willingly, she wanted to believe that Harry also had some romantic feelings towards her.
"I wanted to comfort you Hermione, Oh! How I wanted to…" Harry chose his words carefully, "… but I was afraid…"
Hermione drew back to look at him quizzically and so Harry poured his heart to her, "I was afraid that you will resent me. I was the reason that the one you loved left and left you crying…"
"Oh Harry…" Hermione interrupted with feeling.
Harry shushed her and continued before he lost his nerve, "My biggest fear was that you will not welcome my efforts to offer you comfort and you will realize that you should also leave. Your anguish broke my heart, it caused emotions in me that I never experienced. I wanted to take away your pain onto me and soothe your aching heart. I was afraid of those emotions also, I was afraid as to what they mean but more importantly your reaction to that if I was to display those emotions…"
Hermione settled more comfortably into Harry's embrace and with her cheek on his exposed chest she mumbled, "I should never have reacted so strongly to Ron's leaving, he was not my boyfriend and even though I wanted him to be at that time, it was not a sure thing. I knew that I was resigned to settle for the second best but I think the shock of him leaving us in the middle of nowhere was too much for me to accept. I was more afraid about your safety and if we will be able to finish the task or not. I guess the conflicting emotions regarding Ron and the fear of failure all overwhelmed me…"
Harry simply tightened his arms around Hermione, drawing her close. He rested his cheek on her temple and continued, "My mum reminded me of one important fact. Regardless of the feeling you may have for Ron or the feelings between you and me, you are my best friend. You do not deserve to suffer alone when I was there with you and I had the power to offer you comfort. Whether you accept or not is a different story but I have to offer it first. I guess that was the push I needed."
He sighed, "I am sorry Hermione, I am sorry for being a thick-headed prat."
"… and I am sorry for being insensitive to your own feelings."
Harry wanted to deny that she was wrong in any way, but he knew that she was wrong to behave in that way especially during the last year. He also knew that it was wrong of him to use Ginny as a crutch rather than braving the situation. Accepting that the fault lied with both of them, Harry simply let the matter alone. Giving one last squeeze to the girl in his arms, Harry broke the hug.
"Kreacher" he called.
The wrinkled old elf appeared before the couple and bowed to them, "How can Kreacher help master and his … friend…" Harry exchanged a smile with Hermione, it was a great change from being called mudblood by the elf.
"Kreacher, we are going to destroy the locket that master Regulus wanted to destroy. Do you want to be there?" Harry asked the waiting elf.
Kreacher could only nod his head in acceptance. He was stunned beyond belief that not only was master Harry confident of destroying the thing that master Regulus was unable to but he was also being asked to watch. That felt like the fulfilment of a life-long ambition to the elf.
Hermione darted into her room to pick up the locket horcrux from her beaded bag and followed Harry and Kreacher into the warded room in the basement. The room was used by Remus whenever he was at Grimmauld Place during the full moon for his transformations.
The room they were in was totally bare of any furniture and so Kreacher conjured a sturdy table made of granite right in the middle of the room to place the locket on. As soon as the locket was on the table, Harry swung the sword hard onto it. The locket flew out from the top of the table onto the floor but unfortunately for the two teens, there was not even a dent.
"I think that it is protected by many spells just to prevent such a damage" Hermione opined.
"Yes" Harry agreed, "… and if it is a locket with pictures in it, it will have to be opened."
With a single look, both the teens understood what was to be done. Harry passed the sword to Hermione and when Kreacher replaced the locket onto the granite top, commanded the locket to open in parseltongue.
Both the teens leaned forward to look into the open locket to see that there were no photos inside it but there was a small rune etched on the base. A black mist rose out of the rune and formed into the shape of a head. While Hermione watched in morbid fascination, Harry could recognize the features similar to those of the young man he saw in the chamber of secrets. This face was still handsome but there were definite signs of aging and a certain coldness that was discontenting. Harry deduced that the locket might have been made later in his life.
The black mist that rose out of the locket did indeed take on the features of Lord Voldemort and it looked at the two teens. The only protection that the soul piece had now was to turn the two teens against each other or to amplify their fears to such an extent that they will be forced to abandon their task of destroying it. However, the soul piece could not see any discord between the two teens, it only saw love; there was no definite romantic emotion tied to that love but it was only growing.
The few moments that the soul piece took to overcome its confusion was enough for Hermione to snap out of her entranced state. With a nod her head towards Harry, she swiftly plunged the sword into the thickening mist. However, there was nothing, no reaction from the soul piece except that it was getting ready for some rant.
"The rune, Hermione…"
That was enough for the bushy haired witch to change her grip on the hilt and with both her hands on the sword, Hermione plunged the tip of the Basilisk venom coated blade into the rune on the base of the locket, destroying it.
The result was instantaneous. Just like with the spirit form of Voldemort from the diary horcrux, first there were several points of light emanating from the dying soul piece and then there was an unearthly scream. With a small bang, the coalesced form of Voldemort exploded in black sparkles and died.
The two teens in the basement looked at each other in unrestrained joy. They were a little closer to the goal of getting rid of Voldemort now than they were yesterday. Not only that, they now had a reliable way of destroying the horcruxes; they only had to find them now.
Harry opened his arms and a beaming Hermione nearly apparated into them. Harry tightened his arms around her almost melding her into him. Hermione wanted more; with her hands on his cheeks, she planted her lips onto his and held tight. She feared that Harry would try and pull back away from the kiss and if this was the only one she was to have, Hermione would get her money's worth.
The green-eyed wizard had no problem with that at all. Initially he was surprised that Hermione kissed him. The kiss felt as if it was the culmination of all the drama they had during their stay at Hogwarts and from the time they became friends. To him the kiss was a revival of the closeness that he shared with Hermione during the first five years. It was only natural that they took their friendship to the next level. Harry simply tightened his arms around the girl in his arms and deepened the kiss. He almost lifted her off the floor, not allowing to let her go.
Hermione always imagined that her first kiss would be with Ron. Oh! She dreamed of a life with Harry, but to her he was unreachable and so steeled her heart and settled for Ron who was always second best in her mind. Now that she had a taste of what kissing Harry would be like, Hermione felt right as if it was where she belonged all along and she was not willing to let that go.
The days leading to Christmas were filled with joy to the young couple. The cold prevented long forays into the outside world but though they felt safe in the muggle world, Harry and Hermione only went out for a few walks or a date or two which included dinner and a movie.
There were plenty of hugs, cuddling, and passionate kisses. That was all they did though, Harry and Hermione considered themselves to be best friends first and then a boyfriend or a girlfriend. For them their friendship was all important and they did not want to rush their budding romantic relationship and end up doing something awful and destroy their friendship. Frankly they were enjoying their time together and were content to bask in their love for the other.
Harry followed his mum's suggestion and began improving his physical fitness. Now with proper food and a comfortable bed to return to, Hermione also joined him occasionally. She had the license to ogle her boyfriend and did it often when he was doing his squats.
When they were inside the house, they spent most of the time in the library reading whatever they could get their hands to. The Black family library had a lot of books that were had very dark rituals but none of them had the information about making a horcrux.
While reading Hermione had the distinct impression that she was not alone in reading the book that she had in her hand. This was confirmed by Harry's occasional reminders that she turned the page a little too early or to go back to a particular page so as to ready it again. These instances, especially when Harry was reading his own book on the other side of the room cemented her belief that Lily Potter was indeed in the mortal realm.
Hermione considered herself to be a very practical girl, always looking for proof before believing it. Even the time spent in the magical world did not completely rid her of that dependency. However, the time spent with Harry and listening to his so-called conversations with her mum forced Hermione to reconsider her belief. This was especially true since Harry always took the time to tell her Lily Potter's part of the conversation too, and boy was Harry's mum smart.
Her suggestions for reading material and tips to enhance their concentration led both Harry and Hermione to improve their spell casting and power. Shortening the wand movements and thinking the spell instead of calling it out loud allowed them to snap off spells in a heartbeat. Hermione was resolved to believe in Harry and began asking questions to the dead witch, thankful that there was another smart woman who could help them in their search for the horcruxes.
Unfortunately for them, there was nothing to go forward on. There was lot of information on spells, counter curses, healing and strengthening potions, but nothing on how to find a piece of soul or a horcurx. There was no information on finding a person without his or her blood a part of a ritual, something which Harry and Hermione desperately wanted in their search for getting rid of Lord Voldemort and his horcruxes.
It was two days before Christmas and Harry was feeling irritated. He was getting subtle feelings that he was meant to go to Godric's Hollow and visit his parents' graves and house. He was suspicious of those feelings because whenever he had anything like that, there was always Voldemort involved and Harry did not trust those feelings anymore.
But he had to be sure, "Mum, do you think that there could be a horcrux in your home at Godric's Hollow?"
Lily Potter thought about it serious for a few minutes and even Hermione waited with bated breath. According to Dumbledore, Voldemort tied the making of a horcurx to a key event in his life and killing baby Harry was quite high in his things to do. Especially since he chose Harry to be the one in the prophecy and Dumbledore acknowledged that he did not know when Voldemort actually made his last horcrux.
Hermione's musings were interrupted by Harry speaking out for Hermione's benefit, what his mother was saying, "Since she does not know the process of making one, she is not confident to either agree or disagree to that notion."
"… But there could not have been the time Harry. We know that he was turned into a wraith as soon as the killing curse bounced back onto him" Hermione argued.
Harry was ready with the counter though, "What if he already had a container ready and all it needed was to cast the killing curse at the intended target?"
That was also very plausible. The container would be on him somewhere, may be in his pocket and even though there was no body, the piece of soul could have been captured in the container. The house was supposed to be a mess after the explosion and if people were not looking for something like that, a horcrux container could have been missed easily. Besides, it was Hagrid and Sirius who were in the house to retrieve Harry and not Dumbledore. Did he even go to the house?
'So, you are convinced that there could be one in the house?' Lily Potter asked.
"No, I do not know what to think actually" Harry sighed. "I get this feeling that I have to go to visit your graves and that is most imperative."
Hermione arched her eyebrow at her boyfriend, "You know it could very well be Voldemort's way of getting you into a trap."
Harry smiled sadly at her, "Oh! I know that he may well be waiting in ambush."
'On the other hand, it is too significant a location not to go and investigate' Lily Potter's voice floated around the room.
"But we will go prepared and ready for an ambush…" Harry added his two knuts.
Hermione finished the planning, "We will charm a couple of portkeys to take with us."
After a filling lunch on the night before Christmas, Harry and Hermione apparated right in front of the graveyard that housed the deceased members of the village. Lily's ability to describe the area with amazing accuracy helped the two teens not to waste any time looking for the place or strolling through the village and end up raising suspicion. Though he wanted to enter the graveyard and pay his respects at his parents' final resting place, Harry was determined to finish searching the house that he lived as an infant, for any sign of a horcrux.
Taking the time to observe their surroundings the two teens determined that there was nothing that was obviously suspicious. There was a thick blanket of snow and not even a soul was stirring giving the place an eerie silence. Still keeping their guard up, Harry and Hermione moved swiftly through the dim light and arrived at the cottage that was once the home of the Potters. Harry did not spare a glance at the statue that was erected to commemorate the sacrifice of James and Lily Potter or at the graffiti that littered the compound thanking the family. His eyes were riveted at the sight of the devastation that was once a loving home.
Harry never imagined that the backlash of magic from the failed killing curse was so powerful that it nearly decimated the entire top floor of the two storied cottage. Harry could not believe he survived the blast. He was grateful that whatever his mum did to safeguard him worked.
'I did not do anything Harry except to love you with all my heart and throw myself in the way of the first curse that the fiend sent towards you.' The emotional voice of his mother roused him from his thoughts.
"… and I am very grateful and humbled by your actions mum. It may very well have been your selfless action that night which protected me." Harry replied with tears in his eyes.
'I would do it many more times if needed…' his mother replied with equal emotion.
The son and his incorporeal mother watched the scene before them. Only two of the four walls were standing and Lily Potter confirmed that his bedroom was the place where most of the damage was done. His emotions were threatening to overcome him but the steady presence of his girlfriend and the gentle pressure on his hand was all that he wished for.
Hermione was also in the same state as her boyfriend. She was horrified at the damage that was done and shuddered at the thought of how narrow an escape did Harry might have had on that fateful Halloween night. It was sheer luck, Harry Potter's luck, which probably allowed him to survive the devastation, that and the loving sacrifice of his mother. She tightened her grip on Harry's hand giving him all the support he needed wordlessly. In her thoughts, she reaffirmed the promise she made way back in their fourth year, she was going to be with him through thick and thin. Now that she had a very good reason to do it, she was not going to back down.
Harry rightly understood the determined glint in her eyes and gave her a tender kiss, silently thanking her for her support. He gave her hand a final squeeze and let go. Drawing his wand with his hand and a deep breath in his lungs, Harry stepped over the threshold of the house and moved in. After taking a few steps inside, Harry realized that Hermione was not with him nor could he hear anything from the outside.
Harry retraced his steps back and called out to her and even though Hermione was able to hear him and answer him back, Harry could not hear what she was saying. He offered Hermione his hand but as Hermione tried to reach it, her hand was obstructed by a powerful ward that did not allow her hand to cross the threshold. Harry realized that the ward would only allow someone with Potter bloodor those given specific permission, to enter. His mother confirmed that was indeed the case but was amazed that the ward still survived the explosion or without any habitation, but Harry was thankful for it. It meant that if there was indeed a horcrux inside the house, no one could have taken it out and it would still be in the house. Sirius and Hagrid would not have had the time or inclination to look around, and if Dumbledore took it out of the house, then it would have either been destroyed by now or Harry would have known about it.
With her hand firmly grasped in Harry's, Hermione was able to enter the house. Surprisingly, the ground floor was intact and the furniture was untouched. It was almost as if the family just left a few days ago, not even a speck of dust was found inside the cottage. Even the photographs showing the marauders, the Potter family, and several of their friends were still on the walls undamaged.
Upon his mother's urging Harry and Hermione began collecting everything of value, sentimental or otherwise and began shrinking and packing them away in a trunk that they brought with them. The trunk itself was shrunken down and went into Harry's pocket when they were done.
Extensive and painstaking search of both the floors did not yield what they came for, Voldemort's horcrux. The top floor was utterly ruined and it looked as if nothing survived. The magical blast was powerful enough to not only destroy the body of Voldemort but also vapourize anything and everything in the nursery that was Harry's room. Even the main bedroom that was next to the nursery did not survive the blast. Though the damage was not as complete as that seen in the nursery, it was patently evident that nothing magical or otherwise survived in the two rooms. Not even a horcrux would have, not that they found anything remotely suspicious. Even the revealing spell that Hermione found in one of the books at Grimmauld Place and a modified version that Harry learnt from Dumbledore that revealed any powerful magic artefact that might have housed a piece of soul, turned up negative.
Letting go of the disappointment of not finding their target, Harry simply sat on the threshold of the cottage and with Hermione for company listened to his mother talk about the time spent with her husband and their friends in the same house. Time seemed to fly by and it would be midnight in less than an hour. It was time to leave the place but after a stop at his parents' graves.
Even though he was talking to his mum every day, standing in front of his parents' graves gave Harry a sense of connecting to them finally. He finally felt a peace that was so far missing in his life. It was a closure that he did not know he even needed.
Lily Potter, meanwhile knew why Harry was brought to this place, she was feeling the pull from the afterlife; it was time for her to move on from limbo to her final resting place. She only hoped that James was also taken out from limbo.
Harry felt the resurrection stone in his pocket heat up. Taking it out he saw that it was glowing but before he could contemplate further, he heard Hermione beside gasp out in surprise.
Lifting his head, Harry could see that his mother was almost solid and that Hermione was also able to see her.
Before either of the teens could say anything, Lily spoke up, "I am sorry my baby, but it seems that my time with you is at an end."
Harry gave her a small sad smile. Strangely, he did not feel any overwhelming emotion except acceptance. He knew that it was time for him to free his self-imposed shackles and fulfil his destiny.
With Hermione beside him, he was feeling quite confident about it.